And No Birds Sang

Peace Through Valour, 2016
Located: Nathan Phillips Square
Artist: Ken Lum
Commissioned by: The Italian-Canadian community
Copyright 2016, Public Art of Toronto. All rights reserved.

In the week leading up to Remembrance Day on November the 11th, PATO will be featuring various memorials to Canada’s valiant war heroes.

On Saturday, June 25^th 2016, Toronto’s latest war memorial was unveiled. Peace through Valour was a gift from the Italian-Canadian community in honour of the more than 93,000 Canadian troops that fought to liberate Italy from the Nazis.

The piece is located in the north west corner of Nathan Phillips Square, immediately behind the Winston Churchill memorial that we featured last week.

The 7-foot by 7-foot piece designed by Canadian artist Ken Lum depicts the aftermath of the Battle of Ortona, also known the “Italian Stalingrad”, which was fought from December 20-28, 1943. Four regiments took part in battle against a battalion of German Fallschirmjäger: the Canadian 2nd Brigade’s Loyal Edmonton Regiment, the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, and the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade’s Three Rivers Regiment. All are represented in the Lum’s piece, a soldier from each division supporting one corner of the structure.

Regiments Depicted: Canadian 2nd Brigade’s Loyal Edmonton Regiment,the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade’s Three Rivers Regiment, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, and the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada

Peace Through Valour, 2016
Located: Nathan Phillips Square
Artist: Ken Lum
Commissioned by: The Italian-Canadian community
Copyright 2016, Public Art of Toronto. All rights reserved.

And No Birds Sang is the title of Farley Mowat’s book describing his experiences in the Italian Theater during World War II.